Nirav Modi planned plastic surgery to evade arrest: Report
Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, the prime accused in the Rs. 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud, tried different routes to evade arrest, reports TOI. According to the report, Modi was planning a plastic surgery to change his facial appearance. However, his plans were foiled after he was arrested in a dramatic fashion in the UK on Tuesday. He will remain imprisoned till March 29.
Modi and Choksi pulled off biggest scam of banking history
Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi cheated the state-run bank of thousands of crores. With the help of PNB employees, the duo got LoUs issued which allowed them to obtain funds from various entities. Initially, PNB claimed the scam was worth Rs. 281 crore but later the actual amount was revealed. The scam is being investigated by the ED and CBI.
Duo fled India before scam got attention
By the time PNB made details of the scam public, Modi and Choksi fled the country. Their passports were revoked by the Center, but somehow they kept traveling. Choksi settled in Antigua as a citizen whereas Modi hopped nations, spending some time in Hong Kong before going to London. In the UK, Modi began living in a posh apartment and started a new business.
Modi applied for citizenship in Vanuatu
In the last 15 months, Modi tried to escape arrest in numerous ways. He applied for citizenship of Vanuatu, an island about 1,750 km away from Australia. He also sought a permanent residence in Singapore. Not only this, but Modi also spoke to law firms in the UK hoping to get shelter in a third country. Plastic surgery was also apparently on his mind.
It seems Modi wasn't as smart as his uncle
While Choksi applied for Antigua citizenship in 2017 itself, Modi didn't take any such step which got him into deep trouble. A reporter of the UK's The Telegraph found Modi in London and the story got worldwide attention. That is why when Modi went to Metro Bank to open a bank account, a teller informed police about his presence and he was arrested.
Modi doesn't have many options left
Unlike in Vijay Mallya's case, Modi's extradition could be easier. The Kingfisher boss told UK courts that his failed business stopped him from returning money to banks. But in Modi's case, his conspiracy is well-documented in CBI's chargesheet. The report added that Modi's accomplices, Mihir Bhansali, Subhash Parab, and Mayank Mehta, are also under scanner. So, he has literally run out of options.
Judge doubted Modi's intentions so didn't grant him bail
Notably, Westminster Magistrates' Court rejected Modi's bail plea Wednesday despite his lawyer making an offer of Rs. 4.5cr for security. Judge Marie Mallon said there's enough evidence to believe that if granted bail, Modi won't surrender. Modi, who wore formal clothes for his hearing and not the "expensive Ostrich leather jacket", told Mallon he didn't wish to be extradited but the judge remained unimpressed.
